scholarly journals Modern X-ray Spectroscopy I. X-ray Emission Spectrometry

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kouichi TSUJI
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
B. J. Panessa ◽  
H. W. Kraner ◽  
J. B. Warren ◽  
K. W. Jones

During photoexcitation the retina requires specific electrolytes and trace metals for optimal function (Na, Mg, Cl, K, Ca, S, P, Cu and Zn). According to Hagins (1981), photoexcitation and generation of a nerve impulse involves the movement of Ca from the rhodopsin-ladened membranes of the rod outer segment (ROS) to the plasmalemma, which in turn decreases the in-flow of Na into the photoreceptor, resulting in hyperpolarization. In toad isolated retinas, the presence of Ba has been found to increase the amplitude and prolong the delay of the light response (Brown and Flaming, 1978). Trace metals such as Cu, Zn and Se are essential for the activity of the metalloenzymes of the retina and retina pigment epithelium (RPE) (i.e. carbonic anhydrase, retinol dehydrogenase, tyrosinase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase...). Therefore the content and fluctuations of these elements in the retina and choroid are of fundamental importance for the maintenance of vision. This paper presents elemental data from light and dark adapted frog ocular tissues examined by electron beam induced x-ray microanalysis, x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and proton induced x-ray emission spectrometry (PIXE).


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 921
Author(s):  
Simonetta Muccifora ◽  
Hiram Castillo-Michel ◽  
Francesco Barbieri ◽  
Lorenza Bellani ◽  
Monica Ruffini Castiglione ◽  
...  

Biosolids (Bs) for use in agriculture are an important way for introducing and transferring TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to plants and food chain. Roots of Pisum sativum L. plants grown in Bs-amended soils spiked with TiO2 800 mg/kg as rutile NPs, anatase NPs, mixture of both NPs and submicron particles (SMPs) were investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), synchrotron radiation based micro X-ray Fluorescence and micro X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (µXRF/µXANES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). TEM analysis showed damages in cells ultrastructure of all treated samples, although a more evident effect was observed with single anatase or rutile NPs treatments. Micro-XRF and TEM evidenced the presence of nano and SMPs mainly in the cortex cells near the rhizodermis. Micro-XRF/micro-XANES analysis revealed anatase, rutile, and ilmenite as the main TiO2 polymorphs in the original soil and Bs, and the preferential anatase uptake by the roots. For all treatments Ti concentration in the roots increased by 38–56%, however plants translocation factor (TF) increased mostly with NPs treatment (261–315%) and less with SMPs (about 85%), with respect to control. In addition, all samples showed a limited transfer of TiO2 to the shoots (very low TF value). These findings evidenced a potential toxicity of TiO2 NPs present in Bs and accumulating in soil, suggesting the necessity of appropriate regulations for the occurrence of NPs in Bs used in agriculture.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Henryk R. Parzentny ◽  
Leokadia Róg

It is supposed that the determination of the content and the mode of occurrence of ecotoxic elements (EE) in feed coal play the most significant role in forecasting distribution of EE in the soil and plants in the vicinity of power stations. Hence, the aim of the work was to analyze the properties of the feed coal, the combustion residues, and the topsoil which are reached by EE together with dust from power stations. The mineral and organic phases, which are the main hosts of EE, were identified by microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, and scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X-ray methods. The highest content of elements was observed in the Oi and Oe subhorizons of the topsoil. Their hosts are various types of microspheres and char, emitted by power stations. In the areas of long-term industrial activity, there are also sharp-edged grains of magnetite emitted in the past by zinc, lead, and ironworks. The enrichment of the topsoil with these elements resulted in the increase in the content of EE, by between 0.2 times for Co; and 41.0 times for Cd in the roots of Scots pine, common oak and undergrowth, especially in the rhizodermis and the primary cortex and, more seldom, in the axle roller and cortex cells.


Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 490
Author(s):  
Rudaviro Garidzirai ◽  
Phillimon Modisha ◽  
Innocent Shuro ◽  
Jacobus Visagie ◽  
Pieter van Helden ◽  
...  

The effects of Mg and Zn dopants on the catalytic performance of Pt/Al2O3 catalyst were investigated for dehydrogenation of perhydrodibenzyltoluene (H18-DBT) as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier. Al2O3 supports were modified with Mg and Zn to produce Mg-Al2O3 and Zn-Al2O3 with a target loading of 3.8 wt.% for dopants. The modified supports were impregnated with chloroplatinic acid solution to produce the catalysts Pt/Al2O3, Pt/Mg-Al2O3 and Pt/Zn-Al2O3 of 0.5 wt.% Pt loading. Thereafter, the catalysts were characterised using inductively coupled plasma- optical emission spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction, carbon-monoxide pulse chemisorption, ammonia temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The dehydrogenation experiments were performed using a horizontal plug flow reactor system and the catalyst time-on-stream was 22 h. Pt/Mg-Al2O3 showed the highest average hydrogen flowrate of 29 nL/h, while an average of 27 nL/h was obtained for both Pt/Al2O3 and Pt/Zn-Al2O3. This has resulted in a hydrogen yield of 80% for Pt/Mg-Al2O3, 71% for Pt/Zn-Al2O3 and 73% for Pt/Al2O3. In addition, the conversion of H18-DBT ranges from 99% to 92%, Pt 97–90% and 96–90% for Pt/Mg-Al2O3, Pt/Zn-Al2O3 and Pt/Al2O3, respectively. Following the latter catalyst order, the selectivity to dibenzyltoluene (H0-DBT) ranges from 78% to 57%, 75–51% and 71–45%. Therefore, Pt/Mg-Al2O3 showed improved catalytic performance towards dehydrogenation of H18-DBT.


1994 ◽  
Vol 349 (6) ◽  
pp. 434-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Agrawal ◽  
S. N. Jha ◽  
Rugmini Kaimal ◽  
S. K. Malhotra ◽  
B. L. Jangida

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 1173-1186
Author(s):  
Markus Gehring ◽  
Tobias Kutsch ◽  
Osmane Camara ◽  
Alexandre Merlen ◽  
Hermann Tempel ◽  
...  

An innovative approach for the design of air electrodes for metal–air batteries are free-standing scaffolds made of electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibres. In this study, cobalt-decorated fibres are prepared, and the influence of carbonisation temperature on the resulting particle decoration, as well as on fibre structure and morphology is discussed. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry are used for characterisation. The modified fibre system is compared to a benchmark system without cobalt additives. Cobalt is known to catalyse the formation of graphite in carbonaceous materials at elevated temperatures. As a result of cobalt migration in the material the resulting overall morphology is that of turbostratic carbon. Nitrogen removal and nitrogen-type distribution are enhanced by the cobalt additives. At lower carbonisation temperatures cobalt is distributed over the surface of the fibres, whereas at high carbonisation temperatures it forms particles with diameters up to 300 nm. Free-standing, current-collector-free electrodes assembled from carbonised cobalt-decorated fibre mats display promising performance for the oxygen reduction reaction in aqueous alkaline media. High current densities at an overpotential of 100 mV and low overpotentials at current densities of 333 μA·cm−2 were found for all electrodes made from cobalt-decorated fibre mats carbonised at temperatures between 800 and 1000 °C.


Author(s):  
Yusuke Sakuda ◽  
Manabu Ishizaki ◽  
Takanari Togashi ◽  
Shunsuke Asahina ◽  
Masaru Takakura ◽  
...  

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Yunfei Shangguan ◽  
Xinguo Zhuang ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Baoqing Li ◽  
Xavier Querol ◽  
...  

Coal as the source of critical elements has attracted much attention and the enrichment mechanisms are of significant importance. This paper has an opportunity to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Permian and Jurassic bituminous coals and associated non-coals from two underground coal mines in the Shanbei Coalfield (Northeast Ordos basin), Shaanxi Province, North China, based on the analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic-emission spectrometry (ICP-AES/MS), and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The Jurassic and Permian coals have similar chemical features excluding ash yield, which is significantly higher in the Permian coals. Major mineral matters in the Jurassic coals are quartz, kaolinite, and calcite. By contrast, mineral assemblages of the Permian coals are dominated by kaolinite; and apatite occurring in the middle section’s partings. The Jurassic coals are only enriched in B, whereas the Permian coals are enriched in some trace elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, Th, and REY). Boron has a mixed inorganic and organic association which may be absorbed by organic matter from fluid (or groundwater) or inherited from coal-forming plants. Additionally, climatic variation also plays an important role. As for the Permian coals, kaolinite and apatite as the major carriers of elevated elements; the former were derived from the sedimentary source region (the Yinshan Oldland and the Benxi formation) and later precipitated from Ca-, and P-rich solutions. We deduced that those elevated elements may be controlled by the source rock and diagenetic fluid input. The findings of this work offered new data to figure out the mechanism of trace element enrichment of coal in the Ordos basin.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1331-1344
Author(s):  
Shohel Siddique ◽  
Kyari Yates ◽  
Kerr Matthews ◽  
Laszlo J Csetenyi ◽  
James Njuguna

Oil-based mud (OBM) waste from the oil and gas exploration industry can be valorised to tailor-made reclaimed clay-reinforced low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites. This study aims to fill the information gap in the literature and to provide opportunities to explore the effective recovery and recycling techniques of the resources present in the OBM waste stream. Elemental analysis using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and X-ray fluorescence analysis, chemical structural analysis by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and morphological analysis of LDPE/organo-modified montmorillonite (LDPE/MMT) and LDPE/OBM slurry nanocomposites by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been conducted. Further analysis including calorimetry, thermogravimetry, spectroscopy, microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was carried out to evaluate the thermo-chemical characteristics of OBM waste and OBM clay-reinforced LDPE nanocomposites, confirming the presence of different clay minerals including inorganic salts in OBM slurry powder. The microscopic analysis revealed that the distance between polymer matrix and OBM slurry filler is less than that of MMT, which suggests better interfacial adhesion of OBM slurry compared with the adhesion between MMT and LDPE matrix. This was also confirmed by XRD analysis, which showed the superior delamination structure OBM slurry compared with the structure of MMT. There is a trend noticeable for both of these fillers that the nanocomposites with higher percentage filler contents (7.5 and 10.0 wt% in this case) were indicated to act as a thermal conductive material. The heat capacity values of nanocomposites decreased about 33% in LDPE with 7.5 wt% MMT and about 17% in LDPE with 10.0 wt% OBM slurry. It was also noted, for both nanocomposites, that the residue remaining after 1000°C increases with the incremental wt% of fillers in the nanocomposites. There is a big difference in residue amount (in %) left after thermogravimetric analysis in the two nanocomposites, indicating that OBM slurry may have significant influence in decomposing LDPE matrix; this might be an interesting area to explore in the future. The results provide insight and opportunity to manufacture waste-derived renewable nanocomposites with enhanced structural and thermal properties.


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